Saturday, July 2, 2011

I did not plan very well and so by lunch time, I was exhausted, dehydrated, and starving.

What I noticed was that when I am in that condition, I want to eat every carb in the book.

But, of course, I resisted and my saving grace was that they brought my salad before the carb-filled appetizer my friend had ordered or else I may have caved.

As soon as I ate the salad, I felt better. My resolve was back and I had no desire to eat any of the "cheat" foods.

Lesson: Don't let yourself get hungry. There is no reason to on this diet. Bring pepperoni, bring cheese, bring boiled eggs, bring anything you have to. But keep yourself hydrated and keep yourself full.

Friday, July 1, 2011

As you may have noticed already, I changed the days back to the actual number of days it has been since I started this blog. After thinking about it, I feel like this is a continuous journey with ups and downs, struggles and backpedalling, and I want to document all of it. I do not want to consider this a new path. This is my Atkins journey and I feel like if I am not honest, even in simply naming the days, it cannot be trusted in its entirety.

So, officially, Restart: Day 12, Actual Journey Day: Day 206, this hit me hard knowing that I have only lost 32 pounds in 206 days, but then I must remind myself that I did take a hiatus for April, May, and most of June... And realize that that comes with consequences

Today has been a struggle. I weighed myself to find that I have gone up a pound. Not a huge deal except that I was already seriously wanting a cupcake. or a donut. or a bagel.

or any other forbidden item you can think of.

And then I thought, hmm, this could possibly be because Aunt Flo is coming to town in the next day or so, that makes complete sense.

So, as a precaution, I went out and bought sugar free chocolate. I am not eating it unless I absolutely cannot resist temptation, but simply knowing that there is the option is fantastic. For some reason, this helps me stay on plan tremendously.

But, the point. I did a raw food diet for 30 days, a 30 day challenge, and what kept me going was knowing that it was only 30 days and I thought... I can do anything for 30 days.

Well. That has become my motto for most things in this life. I can do anything for a day. And by goodness, I can stick to plan for a day even if it is a struggle to do so.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Today I was reminded of how far I have come when it comes to dieting in general.

I used to get really upset when whichever diet I was on wasn't making me lose at least a pound a day and at the very minimum a half a pound a day.

It just wasn't worth it to me. I would say, it's going to take me forever to lose it this way, let's crash diet.

And now, here I am at 26 years old, once again trying to climb down that weight ladder.

But with Adkins, I don't feel that push. I don't feel like I did with other plans. If I don't lose that week, then that sucks, but okay. If I do manage to lose a ton, then woohoo, but let's not expect it all the time.

It is a strange feeling to be on a plan that is quite restrictive and to still be okay with not losing. They say that when you find your perfect mate, that you will just know and that even though he may have faults, you will be able to accept them.

That's kind of how I feel about a diet plan, or a way of eating. This just... fits for me. It just works... for me. And it may not work for you or anybody else you know, but. It works for me.

I need the restriction, the complete removal of certain foods from my diet, perhaps for always. But, some people are not like this, some people need moderation, they need the ability to eat whatever they want within reason.

I need this. I need to know that I can only eat meat, eggs, cheese, salad. that's about it. and truthfully, as you've seen in my past posts when I was following this plan, that is not all you can have.

But, people do gawk and stand amazed when they say, "So, you can't eat any bread?" and you say no. They can't believe that somebody can live without bread.

Not only can I live without bread, but my energy shoots up without bread, I am not groggy, I am not having constant, consistent, can't live without bread cravings, I am able to turn down cupcakes and ice cream and chocolate...

What makes this diet worth it is that once you get past the first few days, it doesn't feel a whole lot like deprivation or like you are constantly fighting yourself.

It feels like you are making a choice not to eat the cookie, and that's it. No going back and forth, no thinking about the cookie once it's out of your sight. It is like...

It's like... this way of eating... actually gives you back the control that you should have over your food choices. It takes power away from the food and puts it back into your hands.

Though, I must still admit that I do like to smell those cookies sometimes. :)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Today I thought I would write about some lovely ways to stay low carb when on the go.

1. If you have a Jimmy John's, I do recommend that you try their lettuce wraps. You can get any sandwich made into a lettuce wrap. This is by far the most delicious option I have tried as far as converting a carb-filled meal into a low-carb meal.

2. Hardee's. This neat little fast food restaurant will convert any of their sandwiches, hamburgers, chicken dealios, into a low-carb version by simply switching out the bun for lettuce. Now, this does get kind of messy, so I recommend this only when you can sit down and eat it some place or when you are not driving.

3. Pepperoni. Who could ever leave this off the low-carb on-the-go list? It's easy, convenient, delicious. BUT addicting and something that should not be eaten on a consistent basis. One pack has over 1000 calories, so watch out, these are very easy to overdo it.

4. Cucumbers with Cream Cheese. This is a bit carb heavy, so you gotta be careful how much you eat, but, for a wonderful and healthy treat, just have sliced cucumbers with a bit of cream cheese spread on top, delicious. you can even make cucumber sandwiches with a bit of turkey.

5. Asparagus with cream cheese and turkey wrapped around the stalk. Mmmm... Once again, a little higher carb, but worth it in my book.

6. I almost never go anywhere without some snack cheeses. The kind I buy is called "Cow Pals" and it has 0 carbs per serving.

I am sure that there are several other places that serve low carb options on the go, but these are just my favorite options.

I have also found that if you go to a pizza place, your only option doesn't have to be a chicken caesar salad or a salad with ranch or any of that. A lot of places can cook the toppings separate from the pizza crust. When they can do this, I will order like a supreme pizza without the crust and without the sauce on top of a bed of salad greens and eat it with pesto or olive oil and sometimes even bring in my own low carb marinara.

Yesterday at work, I realized what a little scavenger us Atkinseers are. Is Atkinseer a word? :/

I was at work late and we couldn't leave because it was so busy. Normally, this isn't a problem. My employer supplies us with crazy amounts of food. But yesterday, I realized that it is mostly pizza, ice cream, pasta, M&Ms, etc...

All things that I cannot eat while on plan. So, I found myself scraping the pepperoni and cheese off of the pizza and eating some green peppers that i found in the drawers...

Interesting note, however, I was not even tempted to eat the pizza whole. It didn't even occur to me as it does with other diets where I think, well, I have to eat, this is all there is, might as well enjoy it.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Today I woke up with lots of energy.Went to the gym.Came home.Took a shower.And immediately felt... different.

Having trouble standing up different... it is now 2pm and I feel that way still a tiny bit, a bit like my head is in a cloud. I read up on this and apparently this is because my body is going through a withdrawal of carbs and sugar. Additionally, it is making the change from burning carbs for fuel to utilizing fat instead.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Three months. I could have been down to skydiving weight. I could have been healthier, skinnier, closer to shedding this fat suit completely.

But, alas, I enjoyed cookies and cakes and ice cream. I enjoyed grilled cheeses and french fries and donuts. I enjoyed it all.

Until I finally stepped back on Saturday and thought, 'I am tired all the time. I am fatigued. I am struggling going up three flights of stairs. What is it going to take to get me back on track?'

There have been some major changes in my life since March. I have two jobs now. One for the American Cancer Society and one for a local market research firm.

I enjoy them both, but this means I am working quite a lot of hours every week.

Additionally, I have been dating a boy that I do very much enjoy. And he is in wonderful shape which inspires me to keep going and get back to it as well.

So, here I am. starting over. again. And, I was going to go ahead and start a new blog, start a new one where Day 1 would be fresh and nice and clean.

Free from all past mistakes, where I would be perfect and eat my 20 carbs daily during the first two weeks. Where I would be perfect and work out according to a schedule all the time, without missing one, without complaint. Where I would be perfect and never cheat, never slip up, never go off track.

And then I thought... no. This is normal. People go on and off the wagon all the time. No need to pretend that it doesn't happen. No need to have a clean slate. Just pick up from here and move forward.

So here I am, Day 2 (again), going through the Atkins Induction Flu (again).

But the difference is that this time.. this time, I know that at the end of this week, I will have energy. My cravings will be gone. And it will be worth it.

Current Stats:

Weight: 266.4Urine: Yellow (I know, TMI, but I think it is very important to note since I do remember that when I was on Atkins before, my urine was always crystal clear)Energy Level: Very low, tired, cranky, lack of motivationExercise: 3 Miles at about 1 hr and 10 minutes, extremely difficult to even finish.Current ST Activity Goal: Kayaking this weekCurrent LT activity Goal: September 24th Half Marathon

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Yes, that is a gain... a big gain. I have been off track for nearly two weeks now... well... I guess more like 10 days.

That is why I avoided this place, and the scale. And it reminded me why I weigh myself every day.

The downfall started with something so simple. I went camping. I ate one tiny little minuscule s'more... which led to a landslide.

I think that it led to a landslide because I thought, it's okay that I cheated a little, I will just wait a few days and get on the scale when the water weight is gone... well. then since I wasn't weighing myself I kept pushing it back and back and back and eating more and more and more.

And let me tell you, the worst part of this diet/lifestyle is getting on it. Once you are on it, I promise, the cravings really are not there. They really do go away for the most part. But, you can still get sidetracked, as I have proven.

But, I am here to write about the reasons you should not cheat, and what cheating this much has shown me.

1. My energy level off of Atkins goes way down. I feel like I could sleep for 10-12 hours a day and not get enough sleep.

2. My desire to workout becomes non-existent.

3. I am cranky.

4. No matter how much I eat, I am hungry. I can eat 4000 calories and still be hungry.

5. It's never a good time to get back on track.

6. Once again, you realize that nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

7. My stomach is bloated.

8. I feel depressed, sad, out of control.

9. My face is breaking out.

10. This is such a long journey, and this cheat has set me back probably a total of 3 weeks. It sucks to realize.

However, I am getting back to it. I am strong, I am confident, I am going full force. I just have to commit to not cheating. Commit to the fact that this is worth so much more than a s'more.

Monday, March 7, 2011

But I must admit that I am not completely gung ho about it anymore. I am. I am still sticking to the plan about 90% of the time.

Still, this past weekend, I ate popcorn at the movie theater and three bites of mashed potatoes... I still lost weight. It didn't kick me out of ketosis. And I don't have my cravings back.

I think that the key is moderation. I think that the key is also that if you are going to cheat, at least still stay in your carb count. Which is what I do. I knew I would want the popcorn. I had been fantasizing about it all day. So, I ate very few carbs all day so I could just enjoy one single cup of popcorn.

I was prepared for the consequences. And I think that you just have to evaluate yourself. And know yourself, and know what you can handle and what you can't.

I know myself. I know that if you put pizza in front of me, I can't just eat one slice. Therefore, I may never be able to eat pizza on plan ever.

But, let's be real here. I am viewing this as a complete lifestyle change... Do I really think that I am going to go my entire life without mashed potatoes, without popcorn? Absolutely not.

Now, there are a million substitutes out there for a million products... and when possible, you should absolutely go for the substitute. But for some things, don't beat yourself up. You will lose weight. Just... everything in moderation.

If you have never had to lose weight, or lose a significant amount of weight, you will never understand the joy of hitting a new weight bracket... it's something about seeing that number change... instead of 90 something it is 80 something and it just makes you happy.

I am completely back on track. I must admit that the cravings were horrendous though. I even had a dream about crawling through a donut tunnel.

What is most exciting is that the next weight bracket puts me closer to 200 than to 300.... is it sad that this is enough to make me super happy?

I also wanted to post a picture of me kayaking and rock climbing this past weekend!

Monday, February 21, 2011

On Saturday, I went to Nashville and met with an old friend for some good conversation and good times.

But, my friend and I always eat at Pizza Hut every time we see each other...So, I kind of knew I would be cheating and it was a bit of a planned cheat.

I ate three pieces of pepperoni pizza and two cheesesticks.

And they were as good as I remember. BUT, and this is a huge but, after eating the food, I was extremely tired. I could barely make the drive home without falling asleep. It did made me remember how much energy I have gained by sticking to the no-carb lifestyle.

They say the hardest thing about cheating on this plan, is then getting back on the plan. And I have found that that has been the case.

I am getting back on plan, but all cravings are back and it is very difficult to focus and not eat foods that are off plan.

My one motivation is that my weigh in is on Wednesday and I do not want to have gained weight from this week, so I feel like if I can just not cheat the rest of the week, I should at least be at the weight I was at. I may not have lost weight, but that is okay. I just don't want to have gained 7 or 8 pounds...even in water weight.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I went to Nashville for a few days, stuck to the plan, still no cheating whatsoever...

and gained 3 pounds.

What is most interesting about this is that normally, on any plan, the moment I gain is the moment I binge.

That did not happen this time. I just said, "Okay, it could be water weight." When I weighed the next day and it said the same thing, I said, "Okay, well, let's evaluate what I have been eating and tweek it, get back to basics. No more frankenfoods."

So, while I am not happy that I gained weight... not in the least... I do feel like this is a permanent thing. I feel like this is for life. And that is not something I have felt on any other plan.

In a way, gaining the weight really shows me how far I have come in a little over two months, not just physically, but mentally. And the mental battles is probably 80% of the total fight.

Friday, February 11, 2011

For those of you who don't know, recent studies show that in order to develop a habit, a habit that requires dedication and determination, a habit like eating a certain diet...

It takes approximately 66 days... 66 days of complete, unwavering dedication to the task at hand. 66 days without cheating.

This means that it becomes automatic to make the correct food choices, you are less likely to cheat in the long run, and it is easier for you to stick to the way of eating for the long haul, almost for the rest of your life.

That being said, Day 66, no cheating, is a huge deal. Huge Effing Deal.

I think that reaching this point makes me happier than losing 10% of my weight.

Friday, February 4, 2011

These dreams always consist of food I am not allowed to eat and of me accidentally eating it. The interesting thing is that it is never horrible food that I am eating in the dream. It isn't ever donuts or cake or french fries or ice cream.

Last night, I had a dream where I went to a sandwich shop and I tried to order a sandwich wrapped in bibb lettuce instead of the bread. But, the man gave me a sandwich on whole wheat bread and I ate half of it before even realizing the bread was there. Then, I was extremely upset throughout the rest of the dream because I couldn't believe I had blown it on such a dry and unsatisfying carb filled food.

In the past, I have had dreams about macaroni and cheese, bagels, white bread, and potatoes.

The craziest thing about this dreams is how real they seem. Sometimes I wake up and wonder if I really did eat the food and it always takes me about an hour to figure out that it was just a dream and not something I really ate.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

I can always tell when I have taken into too many artificial sweeteners. Suddenly, the cravings hit and the cravings hit strong.

Today, I had a bit of a binge day. Now, I didn't eat anything off of the acceptable food list... but I did eat a lot on it.

It was definitely a binge though because I ate an entire pack of pepperoni sticks, three eggs, bacon, cheese, 10 ounces of chicken... okay, when I write it out, it doesn't look like a binge. But it certainly feels like it and I am sure that if I had more ready to eat foods, it would have been a full out binge.

Sometimes, I feel out of control with my foods. Generally this means that I am not eating enough vegetables... and as you can see from the above, I am not at all. My stomach has been cramping a lot, and it cramps more when I eat salads. Trying to figure out the problem...

Monday, January 31, 2011

My meat only days are over. In fact, they only lasted about 4 days. This is for various reasons, but mainly because it is recommended not to stay on a meat only fast for too long because it will lead to constipation, irritability, huge grocery bills... etc. But, I do believe that I actually might start doing it for three days out of every week. 3/7 meat only. It is not as difficult as it seems and it does decrease your appetite.

For instance, even after going off of the meat only way of eating, for the next few days, I was still not all that hungry. One day all I ate was a three cup salad with ranch, a 10 ounce piece of salmon, and three eggs. This is a huge decrease from how much I was eating in the past.

It did bump my weight down quickly. I am now 266.8, which means I am averaging about a 10 pound loss per month. Healthy, no?

Obviously I would like to be losing faster, but I cannot complain about 10 pound monthly losses. In the past I have crashed the weight off and so it came off very quickly... The bad part about this was that I couldn't stick to the crash diets as a lifetime maintenance plan and so as fast as the weight came off, it came back on just as quickly... if not quicker.

Therefore, I am okay with this 10 pound loss. It is quite good. Still no cheating.

55 Days and going strong...

Oh! I also made Atkins Cheesecake!

My friends and family loved it! :)

Recipe can be found here: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/recipereview/showproduct.php?product=901

Monday, January 24, 2011

I was getting frustrated with the "slow" weight loss, so I decided to try a Meat, Egg, Fat fast. Basically what this means is that I can no longer eat vegetables or cheese. I thought this would be surprisingly hard but it has been pretty simple.

This is supposed to push you hard into ketosis and stimulate weight loss again. Basically, I am just using it to get back to basics and to make sure that I am not over eating my carbs.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

On the last day of my sixth week, I feel like the diet has been a success. I have lost an average of 20 pounds... it goes up and down based on the day.

I have learned that I am still not good at eating in moderation and my stomach rebels when I eat too much processed food.

On the whole, I am eating a lot healthier and a whole lot more whole food... which I do believe is the main purpose of this diet.

I would like to have lost more weight, but I feel pretty good eating this way and my energy is up.

Sometimes, I do have to remind myself that my worst day on Atkins is still better than my best day before Atkins...

It is difficult resisting certain foods. Lately, it has been popcorn and cupcakes. But, you just have to remind yourself that you want to be thin more than you want that momentary taste on your tongue.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

This should be okay, considering how much weight I have lost so far. Yet, it is really frustrating. In addition to this frustration, I am... constipated.

I thought I would avoid this common Atkins pitfall by eating a lot more vegetables than I am supposed to be eating. This worked for the first 5 weeks, but in this sixth week, it is... how should you say... not.

And, another issue is that when I do manage to... have to go... it is like all of it in one day, constantly running to the restroom.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I am getting a bit bored with my current way of eating. I am craving chocolate a great deal. Along with ice cream, donuts, quesadillas, pizza, sour patch kids, french fries, mashed potatoes, and cinnamon rolls.

Also, I still am not a fan of water and I still avoid it like the plague.

I have also noticed that as I become more bored with this way of eating, I become less satisfied with the amount of weight I've lost...

I think, one cupcake will not hinder this. One Hershey kiss... just one.

What really keeps me from cheating at this point is knowing that I have gone 35 days without cheating and if I do so much as put one forbidden morsel in my mouth, the countdown starts over.

Right now, the goal is simply to get to 40. 40 days of deprivation. Though, I must admit, up until very recently, I did not feel deprived at all.

I don't know why it is hitting now.

I think it is the realization that I eat the same things over and over again. It's time to spice up my menu a bit.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Throughout this entire dieting/lifestyle changing experience, my roommate has been good about keeping me on track.

Her mere presence keeps me from going off plan because even though she is not following the plan with me and she is not really on any kind of healthy eating regimen herself, it just helps knowing that she knows what I am supposed to be doing.

It's kind of like... I feel as though if this will succeed for me and I can be healthy, then maybe it will motivate those around me to do it as well. I don't want to let myself down because I feel like this is my last chance.

I am so tired of dieting, so tired of trying... this has to be it.

And so far, I have had nothing that was not on plan.... with the exception of diet coke.

But as for my roommate being the diet police, I say this in an endearing way. When we are going somewhere, she will be the one to ask what they have and to explain my eating situation... and then to ask me if I can have certain things, etc. etc... it has actually been extremely helpful.

It lets me know that she is super supportive of me and wants me to succeed and everybody needs that.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Now, up until now, I have been able to find something that I could eat anytime I dined out. I never thought that a Thai restaurant would turn out to be the one place that I could not find anything safe.

I decided to order a dish with Beef and Vegetables. Without the sauce. I asked for them to sauteed it in olive oil to which the server said that they don't sauteed... they can only steam because everything is cooked in a wok. So, I said, that's fine, just steam it all.

Not fine. Terrible. The food tasted bland without the seasoning but the seasoning definitely had too many carbs in it.

So, I took the food home, sauteed it myself in olive oil and made a dip out of sour cream. It tasted delicious.

Still, not a fan of having to pay $15 for a meal I still have to go home and dress up myself.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Watching TV shows like The Biggest Loser and I Used To Be Fat makes me feel like such a failure for only losing 15 pounds in a month. These people are losing at least a pound a day... I need to step it up.

So, on that note, I am going to add a workout routine with a final end goal.

I am going to train to WALK the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville on April 30th. The time limit for completion of this event is 4 hours, which is approximately an 18 minute mile... this is a slow mile...

STILL, my mile is currently more like a 20 minute mile.

I did look up the final finishing times for last years race and the final finisher finished at 4hrs and 45 minutes... so I know they won't kick me off the course or anything and finishing is.... well... finishing.

I found a training schedule and am starting this tomorrow.

Now, of course, the goal is to burn an extra 3500 calories a week in order to lose an additional pound each week. And, also... to get in better shape, better health... blahblahblah... ;)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Today is my 28th day on the Atkins diet. So far, I have lost 15.2 pounds. I would have lost more had it not been for the cough syrup fiasco.

I noticed while using the facilities earlier today that my pee smelled. It is a familiar smell to me now and it is a good smell in that it indicates that one is in ketosis. This means that you are in prime fat burning mode.

Now, I don't like this smell, and in fact, I shower a lot more than I used to, but it is interesting that your urine changes smells based on what you eat and based on your lack of carbs...

Monday, January 3, 2011

A few days ago I decided that I wanted to go skydiving for my 26th birthday...

So, I looked it up and right there in black and white was the weight limit... 220 pounds. Now, I know that that seems like a lot of weight to most of you, but to me, it is 56.6 pounds away from where I currently am.

Therefore, that is my new goal... to weigh 210 before my 26th birthday on May 18th... 66.6 pounds... now. I know that this is pushing it, but I am definitely going to try.

approximately .5 pounds a day. Yes, definitely pushing it a little hard. Still, it's worth a shot and it is good motivation not to cheat one single day.